I oversaw education on Rikers Island. Early mistakes don’t have to define a young person’s life.
We’re beyond proud of the impact our amazing instructors make! Meet Tim Lisante, one of the inspiring educators from our Educational Leadership program. He shares his unique insights from leading education in District 79, including Riker’s Island in his recent article on Chalkbeat New York!
For the tens of thousands of New York students who graduated from high school in June, the beginning of the school year also marks the end of their required education. Many of them are pursuing advanced two- and four-year degrees at colleges and universities, while others have enrolled in vocational training programs or are entering the workforce.
In some ways, the opportunities for these teenagers seem endless. But as the former superintendent of New York City’s District 79 — the city’s alternative schools district, which includes Rikers Island jail complex — I can assure you that this is certainly not the case for everyone.
My introduction to justice-impacted students came over 30 years ago when I became assistant principal of Island Academy (now called East River Academy), a school located on Rikers Island. During my first year on the job, I met a young student with the deck stacked against her. She had a learning disability, a substance use disorder, no permanent home in the city, and she was pregnant.
As I encountered more young people like her, I remember thinking to myself: “These are the most ‘egregious’ kids in New York City? They’re no different than my own sons.” Yet, there was one critical difference: Our city’s traditional education system and supportive services had failed them.
I spent 34 years in District 79, which includes early childhood education, career and technical education, adult education, and transfer high schools. I started as the special education assistant principal on Rikers and retired in 2022 as an executive superintendent. My students had every reason to give up. But they were determined to make the most of the education they were offered, and our dedicated faculty were committed to helping them do that.
For over 30 years, CITE has and continues to train:
